After this all was flying spoondrift and canvas reduced to two sails—the wind harder than ever. Smoking bows were the order of the day, clouds of spray soaked the mainsails nearly to the peak, gaffs were like rainbows in curve, all hands were warily standing by to lower foresail or meet the next emergency. 'Queen Mab' finished in 1 hr. 43 mins. 35 secs., 'Varuna' 1 hr. 49 mins. 33 secs.
Parker sailed 'Queen Mab,' Gould 'Varuna,' Sycamore 'Corsair.' It was indeed a hard blow, and a fine display of yacht handling and good seamanship under most trying circumstances; the 'Yseult,' 10-tonner, lost her bowsprit, and everybody lost something. All credit to the skippers, who never lost their heads.
'IVERNA' (J. JAMESON, ESQ.) AND 'METEOR' (H.I.M. THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY).
Dead heat in the Clyde, July 4, 1892.
The '6-rater' match seemed to be the joy of Largs, especially on this occasion, when the weather enabled the crews to show what the Irish boats could do. So much damage had been done that three only were left to start: 'Red Lancer,' Col. Crawford, 'Savourna,' Mr. H. L. Mulholland, and 'Windfall,' Mr. Gubbins. They seemed to revel in the storm; 'blow high, blow low,' was all the same to them. More would have started had they not been unhappily crippled in one way or the other, but those that did were nearly blown out of the water. The maxim of 'Batten down' was in every case emphasised. After a tremendous experience of what the Clyde can do to encourage real seamanship and fearless daring 'Savourna' came in at 2 hrs. 3 mins., and 'Red Lancer,' 2 hrs. 3 mins. 39 secs; 'Red Lancer' taking 1st prize, 'Savourna' 2nd prize. Largs Regatta in 1892 will long be remembered; it was no flat racing, but real steeplechasing in the Clyde.
1892 also leaves us a dead heat between the two champions of the season, the 'Iverna' and the 'Meteor.' This occurred at the Royal Clyde Club, July 4, 1892; wind W.N.W., a fine breeze, both carrying jibheaders at the finish, as shown in the illustration. 'Iverna' led by 19 seconds—3 hrs. 25 mins. 28 secs., allowing 'Meteor' 19 seconds; 'Meteor' finished at 3 hrs. 25 mins. 47 secs. Dead heat.
This was sailed off, July 8, in the Wemyss Bay programme, and resulted in a very fine race, topmasts struck, first reef down in mainsail—real going, both vessels made the most of and thoroughly well handled. Mr. William Jameson and O'Neil were on 'Iverna,' and Gomes was at the tiller of 'Meteor.' It was a grand exhibition of yacht-racing, and finished, 'Iverna,' 4 hrs. 18 mins. 26 secs., 'Meteor,' 4 hrs. 21 mins. 22 secs.
CHAPTER X
RACING IN A 40-RATER IN 1892
By R. T. Pritchett
Most of the races described in these volumes are from the standpoint of the looker-on ashore, or else on board some vessel which was not competing; the present chapter describes a race from that point of vantage, the deck of the winning yacht.